A guide to Paragon Paths with ability bonuses to damage

As our campaign is approaching the end of Heroic Tier, I've started to investigate an area of the game I tended to overlook: Paragon Paths. Among other things, I've been studiying the paragon path sections of all the books I own, as well as the path lists in D&D Compendium, for those I don't. In addition to helping me decide how to level up my character and a couple others in my gaming group (since some of our players prefer using pre-made characters), this has provided me with food for a couple of articles - including, as you might have guessed by now, this one.

One of the topics I've been investigating has been that of paragon paths that grant an ability bonus to damage, like Pit Fighter, or Stormwarden. I want to talk about this in depth in a future article, but basically these tend to be very strong options, and were very frequent in the first books, but have become increasingly scarce. Many recent classes (including several strikers) lack a path of this type, making multiclassing for an appropiate path a common trend among damage optimizers - one that is sometimes considered problematic. At any rate, I have compiled a list of these paths, and I though it would be handy to have it posted here.

The list is divided in two sections, with the first one ordering paragon paths by class, and the second one by the ability that is added to damage. It is only a partial list, in that paths from Dragon magazine have not been taken into consideration (yet), but I think you'll find most of the relevant options anyway. The following books are covered: Player's Handbook, Forgotten Realms Player's guide, Martial Power, Player's Handbook 2, Arcane Power, Eberron Player's Guide, Divine Power, Primal Power, Martial Power 2, Player's Handbook 3.

Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list of damage-boosting paths, and in fact some of the best ones (like Morninglord or Kensai) use different mechanics and have been left out.

List by Class

Ardent
(none)
Artificer
(none)
Avenger
(none)

Barbarian

Building Thunder
Ability added:Constitution
Damage mechanic: When you hit with thunder power, deal extra damage to next creature hit before end of next turn.
Requirement: Thunderborn Wrath class feature.
Source: Primal Power

Bard
(none)

Battlemind

Zephyr Blade
Ability added:Charisma
Damage mechanic: Extra damage on melee attack vs dazed, slowed or stunned.
Source: Player's Handbook 3

Cleric

Angelic Avenger
Ability added:Charisma
Damage mechanic: All bloodied enemies within 5 take damage at the start of their turn.
Source: Player's Handbook

Fighter

Iron Vanguard
Ability added: Constitution
Damage mechanic: Extra damage to enemy you push or knock prone.
Source: Player's Handbook

Pit Fighter
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Extra damage with Fighter or Pit Fighter weapon attack.
Source: Player's Handbook

Avenging Slayer
Ability added: Charisma
Damage mechanic: Extra damage with weapon attack and Combat Advantage vs bloodied. enemies
Source: Martial Power

Dread Reaper
Ability added: Strength
Damage mechanic: Damage all adjacent enemies when using Cleave
Source: Martial Power

Shock Trooper
Ability added:Dexterity
Damage mechanic: Extra damage on melee attack with Combat Advantage, once per round.
Source: Martial Power

Invoker
(none)

Monk
(none)

Paladin
(none)

Psion
(none)

Ranger

Stormwarden
Ability added: Dexterity
Damage mechanic: At the end of your turn, deal damage to two adjacent enemies, then to one adjacent enemy, if you can make opportunity attacks.
Requirement: Two-blade fighting style
Source: Player's Handbook

Blade Banshee
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Extra damage on melee attacks while dual wielding.
Requirement: Eladrin
Source: Martial Power

Ruthless Punisher
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Extra damage against quarry if humanoid.
Source: Martial Power

Sylvan Archer
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Extra quarry damage with ranged attacks.
Requirement: Elf
Source: Martial Power

Bloodfury Hunter
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Encounter stance, power bonus to damage while bloodied.
Requirement: Shifter
Source: Martial Power 2

Darkstrider
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: Extra damage equal to 3+Wisdom if enemy has not acted or you are hidden.
Source: Martial Power 2

Rogue

Guildmaster Thief
Ability added: Charisma
Damage mechanic: Ally flanking with you gains damage bonus.
Source: Martial Power

Strong-Arm Enforcer
Ability added: Charisma
Damage mechanic: Hit on rattling attack with Combat Advantage to gain damage bonus until the end of your next turn.
Source: Martial Power

Master of Poisons
Ability added: Intelligence
Damage mechanic: Extra damage with poison weapon attack.
Source: Martial Power 2

Runepriest
(none)

Seeker

Swift Strider
Ability added: Strength
Damage mechanic: Extra damage with thrown weapon attacks if you move 3 squares from starting position.
Requirement: Spiritbond class feature
Source: Player's Handbook 3

Shaman
(none)

Sorcerer

Celestial Scholar
Ability added: Strength
Damage mechanic: At the start of your turn, if you are in Phase of the Sun, each enemy within 2 takes damage.
Requirement: Cosmic Magic class feature
Source: Arcane Power

Lightning Fury
Ability added: Dexterity
Damage mechanic: Enemy hit takes 2d6+Dexterity damage if moves adjacent or attacks you in melee.
Requirement: Storm Magic class feature
Source: Arcane Power

Swordmage
(none)

Warden

First Hunter
Ability added: Constitution
Damage mechanic: When you hit, an ally gains damage bonus for the next ranged attack against the target. Also, ranged basic attacks with thrown weapons deal extra damage.
Source: Primal Power

Warlock

Feytouched
Ability added: Intelligence
Damage mechanic: When you leave a square by teleporting, deal damage to adjacent enemies.
Requirement: Fey pact
Source: Player's Handbook

Warlord

Earthfast Brigadier
Ability added: Constitution
Damage mechanic: When an enemy misses you, an ally you can see gains damage bonus against that enemy.
Source: Martial Power

Infernal Strategist
Ability added: Intelligence or Charisma
Damage mechanic: When flanking, you and your ally gain damage bonus to melee attacks agaisnt flanked enemy.
Requirement: Resourceful Presence
Source: Martial Power

Longarm Marshal
Ability added: Intelligence
Damage mechanic: As an opportunity action, deal damage to enemy within reach that moves or makes ranged attack.
Source: Martial Power

Wizard
(none)

Racial

Moonstalker
Ability added: Wisdom
Damage mechanic: When adjacent to prone enemy, you and allies deal extra damage
Requirement: Shifter
Source: Player's Handbook 2

Turathi Highborn
Ability added: Charisma
Damage mechanic: Against bloodied enemies, gain bonus to damage equal to 1+Charisma.
Requirement: Tiefling
Source: Player's Handbook 2

Other

Lyrandar Wind-rider
Ability added: Constitution
Damage mechanic: Damage bonus with lightning or thunder attacks.
Requirement: Mark of Storm feat
Source: Player's Handbook 2


List by Ability

Strength
Dread Reaper - Fighter
Swift Strider - Seeker, Spiritbond
Celestial Scholar - Sorcerer, Cosmic

Constitution
Building Thunder - Barbarian, Thunderborn Wrath
Iron Vanguard - Fighter
First Hunter - Warden
Earthfast Brigadier - Warlord
Lyrandar Wind-rider - Mark of Storms feat

Dexterity
Shock Trooper - Fighter
Stormwarden - Ranter, Two-blade style
Lightning Fury - Sorcerer, Storm

Intelligence
Master of Poisons - Rogue
Feytouched - Warlock, Fey pact
Longarm Marshal - Warlord
Infernal Strategist - Warlord, Resourceful Presence

Wisdom
Pit Fighter - Fighter
Blade Banshee - Ranger, Eladrin
Ruthless Punisher - Ranger
Sylvan Archer - Ranger, Elf, Hunter's Quarry
Bloodfury Hunter - Ranger, Shifter
Darkstrider - Ranger
Moonstalker - Shifter

Charisma
Zephyr Blade - Battlemind
Angelic Avenger - Cleric
Avenging Slayer - Fighter
Guildmaster Thief - Rogue
Strong-Arm Enforcer - Rogue
Turathi Highborn - Tiefling
Infernal Strategist - Warlord, Resourceful Presence